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Outline on  Reporting Methods in the Research Paper
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See Also:  An Overview of the Methods of the Social Sciences
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See Also:  An Overview of Writing the Research Paper
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See Also:  Research Design
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In the Term Paper, the student should apply what they learned in Soci 303:  Methods for the Social Sciences
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It is assumed that the Researcher is familiar Statistics & Methods. 
 It is the task of the Researcher to apply these courses in writing
       his or her Senior Thesis in the Sociology Capstone Course. 
It is assumed that the Researcher still has access to his or her statistics text & methods text. 
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All reporting of Methods should include a discussion of the 
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       Thesis
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        Types of Analysis
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The Contents of the Methods Section includes a description of
      any Primary Methodology utilized 
      or any Secondary Methodology utilized,
      or both
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Primary Methodology:
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The researcher MUST GET PERMISSION to utilize any Primary Methodology
The researcher must get permission from both the Professor 
       & the Human Investigation Committee ( HIC ) of UVW.
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Any type of primary methodology must, first be reviewed & initialed by the Professor.
Failure to do so will result in a FAILING GRADE for the assignment. 
Second, the researcher must get permission from the Human Investigation Committee of UVW.
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      If the Researcher has utilized a Primary Methodology, the major steps in the Research Design
            should be described in enough detail so a sophisticated reader
            could follow what was done
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      The Research may describe any of the Research Instruments utilized, including
          - surveys                      - telephone interviews
          - questionnaires           - observation 
          - experiments              - participant observation 
          - interviews                - etc.
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      Present a copy of any primary instruments in an Appendix
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      You must cite your primary research in the body of the paper & the bibliography
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      Any research done is to be listed in the Bibliography and cited in the body of the paper. 
            Examples:  Interview One:  Conducted on Friday, May 18, 2001
            Surveys 1 - 40:  Taken on Tuesday, May 22, 2001
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      Primary Research MAY serve as a Reference, w/ permission of the Professor
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      For most assignments other than the Sociology Capstone Research Paper, 
            primary research may count as a reference. 
      For example, two 30 minute interviews may count as one reference. 
      One survey, one page in length, given to 20 subjects  may count as one to five references, 
            w/ permission of the instructor
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      The Sociology Capstone Term Project requires at least two Primary Methodologies
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Secondary Methodology:
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     The use of Secondary Methodology (library or other data base research) is appropriate for some research
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      If the writer chooses to use only secondary analysis, simply state this in your methods section
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     Secondary methodology is the independent analysis of data originally collected by other researcher
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     Secondary methodology is often called library research or secondary research. 
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Statistical analysis often accompanies both Primary & Secondary Research
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      For example, with primary research, if a survey is used, 
            the research may give the average age of the respondents, 
            the ranges of ages, and the standard deviations
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      With secondary research, the researcher may look up the average incomes of people in several states 
            & then perform the calculations to determine the average of all those states
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           Return to UVW's Webpage
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           Return to Dr. W's Webpage
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           Return to Dr. W's Course Information Webpage
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The End